Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Male and female cats need different calories for weight loss
By Vasconcellos, Ricardo Souza et al.·Published in Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition·2019·Department of Animal Science, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Male and female cats have different regional body compositions and energy requirements for weight loss and weight maintenance.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that obese male and female cats have different body compositions and energy needs when it comes to losing weight. Over 17 weeks, both male and female cats lost weight, but females had more fat overall, especially in their trunk area. Males required more energy to lose the same amount of weight compared to females. After weight loss, both genders needed more energy to maintain their new weight, indicating that their energy requirements change after shedding pounds. This suggests that when managing obesity in cats, it's important to consider their gender.
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Abstract
Body composition and energy requirements are different between males and females in several species, and both interfere with weight loss. The aim of this study was to compare the total and regional body composition and energy requirements in obese male (n = 8) and female (n = 8) cats, during weight loss and weight maintenance over 17 subsequent weeks after regimen. The total and regional (thoracic and pelvic limbs, and trunk) body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Females exhibited a higher fat mass (FM) than males (p < 0.05), and the trunk was the site with greater fat accumulation regardless of gender. A 23.0 ± 2.8% reduction in body weight was followed by a 50.3 ± 9.4% and a 37.0 ± 8.9% reduction in fat in the trunk region in males and females respectively. Lean mass (LM) mobilization was also increased in the trunk (p < 0.05), and the loss of LM was associated with a reduction in bone mass. The energy intake to achieve the same rate of weight loss was 12.9 ± 3.4% higher in males (p < 0.05). The cats exhibited a gradual increase in energy requirements to maintain their body weight after weight loss (p < 0.05). It was concluded that obese cats mainly accumulate fat in the trunk. The reduction in lean mass after the regimen also occurred in the trunk, with no modifications in the skeletal muscle mass of the limbs. Neutered male cats have higher energy requirements than neutered females, and gender should be considered during obesity management in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31106916/